


Love, Aphelios

by Major_Mixolydian



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Coming Out, Friendship, High School AU, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Slow Burn, Some Fluff, Some Humor, everyone is human, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25198927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Major_Mixolydian/pseuds/Major_Mixolydian
Summary: Aphelios was a timid child. He never grew up in the spotlight, nor was he well known among his classmates. Luckily, his twin sister Alune was always by his side and supporting him every step of the way. She even integrated Aphelios with her group of friends. The two were inseparable, with music bringing them even closer together. They had an insurmountable amount of trust with one another, but one day Aphelios came across something that he couldn’t tell Alune.
Relationships: Aphelios/Sett (League of Legends)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 110





	1. The First Day

“Come on Aphelios! It’s the first day of Junior year!”

Alune’s voice echoed throughout the house, eventually reaching Aphelios. He begrudgingly got up from his bed and sat on the side, rubbing his eyelids. It’s not that he wasn’t used to waking up early, his summer rehearsals for marching band lasted from sunup till sundown.

Tons of people talking in one place isn’t exactly the best place for someone introverted like Aphelios. Fortunately, he has some grace periods throughout the day. Band and lunch provided an opportunity for Aphelios to be himself and come out of his shell a little bit.

“Mmmmmmmgh,” the tired teenager mumbled, “I’m getting ready.”

He walked up to the bathroom to brush his teeth, only to be greeted by Alune combing her hair. Alune was dressed in jean shorts and a t-shirt that was one size too many. 

“Mornin’ Phel,” chirped his sister.

“Hey,” replied a sleepy Aphelios.

Alune walked out of the bathroom while Aphelios began his daily hygiene routine. Afterwards he went back into his room to prep up. He took off his pajamas and put on bermuda shorts, a graphic tee, and a pair of ankle socks. He hoisted up his backpack and walked to the dining room where Alune set up a bagel with cream cheese. The other twin was sitting down on her phone while Aphelios started to eat his breakfast.

“Hey Aphelios, do we have any classes together? I haven’t checked my shedule in awhile.”

“We definitely have band together. Everything else I think we have separately.”

“Damn, that sucks. Well, at least we have one period together.”

He nodded in reply, and started to browse his phone while eating his bagel. His favorite game, Club of Champions, was coming out with a new character soon. He finished his bagel right before Alune looked up.

“Ready to go?”

“Yup.”

\-----

The first period bell rang. Summer vacation was officially over. The twins were standing by the door of the classroom, so they both grabbed a chair and sat in the middle of the room. First period was Wind Ensemble with Ms. Buvelle

“Good morning everyone, and welcome to the first day of school! I am Ms. Sona Buvelle, and I’m the band director here at Bandle High School.”

Ms. Buvelle was a familiar face to Aphelios. She had been his band teacher ever since the beginning of high school, and her sky blue hair was always the most striking aspect about her. In concert band she had a heart of gold, and always wanted the best for her students. However, in marching band she ruled with an iron fist, but still retained the love for her students. 

“Please grab a form at the front of the band room,” she said as she pointed with a stool stacked with papers.

First period was just going over the rules of the class and how rehearsals would take place. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the paper as Ms. Buvelle carefully went over topics such as renting an instrument and the way concerts were organized. 

It wasn’t long before the bell rang.

“Oh, it seems I wasn’t paying attention to the clock. We will be discussing instrument rentals and music choices tomorrow. Have a good day everyone!”

Aphelios stored the paper into his backpack and placed his chair back. Afterwards, he put on his backpack and started to walk to the door where Alune walked up to him.

“I hope your next few classes are enjoyable. Text me if you need anything bro.” said Alune with a smile on her face.

“I will,” responded the other twin, “I just hope I know some people in my other classes.”

The two walked in separate directions. Second, third, and fourth period went very similarly to how first period went. All the teachers introduced themselves and went over a sheet of paper that was handed to all of the students. Unfortunately, none of Aphelios’ friends were in these classes, but there were some band kids that he could rely on. 

The fourth period bell rang and lunch began. Aphelios walked out of his math class and started to head towards the band room. Ever since sophomore year,  Aphelios and Alune had lunch outside of the band room with their friends Lux and Neeko .

Lux had been Alune’s best friend ever since middle school. Similar to Aphelios, they bonded over their love for music, but Lux introduced Alune to the vast world of broadway. Currently, she is one of Bandle’s premiere theater students, and was able to oust many upperclassmen when she was just a freshman.

Neeko met Alune through high school band. She was a percussionist that transferred to Bandle High School for her sophomore year. She’s openly lesbian, and was recently paired up with someone from a neighboring high school. Her taste in tv shows made her easily compatible with Alune, and she plays a lot of the same video games as Aphelios. Neeko is also one of the only people besides Alune that brings Aphelios out of his shell. 

“Hey Aphelios! It’s been a while!” Lux yelled with a grin.

“Hey Lux!” said Aphelios as he walked to the area to sit down.

As he sat down Alune gave him a bag of food. She typically prepares something the night before so she doesn’t have to wake up earlier. 

Aphelios started to eat when a voice called him from the right. 

“Hey Aphelios, have you heard anything about the new Club of Champions character?”

He looked to his right. Neeko was looking at him from a couple of feet away.

“I tried looking this morning, but no news was revealed” 

“Damn, it’s been six months since they’ve released a new character. Granted they reworked some pre-established ones, but it’s been a while since we’ve gotten someone completely new.” 

“I know right,” groaned Aphelios before munching down on his lunch. 

He was halfway through his lunch when he suddenly heard a familiar voice in the distance.

“Hey guys sorry I’m late! I went off campus for lunch because I left home super late and the line was really long.”

Aphelios looked up. It was the final member of the group, Zoe.

Zoe became friends with Neeko when she first transferred. When Neeko started to hang out with Alune, Zoe came along as well. She listens to a lot of the same music as Alune while also playing video games similar to Neeko and Aphelios. She’s always cultured in internet memes and has the energy of what some would call a “gremlin”.

“And why  _ exactly _ did you wake up late this time?” Lux asked in a joking manner.

“I uhhh… was on my laptop until 2 AM,” Zoe replied while looking down.

Everyone else rolled their eyes and chuckled. Alune, Zoe, and Aphelios started to brainstorm on what the new Club of Champions character would be like while Alune and Lux talked about the fall musical. 

Eventually, the lunch bell rang and everyone went on their way to class. Fifth period was definitely going to be Aphelios’ worst class. The teacher, Mr. Bjergsen, was cool but no one in the class was familiar to him. There weren’t even any band kids he could rely on for help.

Sixth period was a nice juxtaposition however. When he walked into the classroom a familiar face greeted him. 

“Aphelios! I didn’t know you were taking chemistry!” shouted Neeko.

Aphelios lit up. He was super excited to know that Neeko was in one of his classes.

“Yes! I finally have a class with a friend!” He yelled.

“There are tons of other band kids in this class too. This will be the best last period ever!” Neeko said with a smile. 

He looked at who was in the classroom. He could see some familiar faces like Sarah, Akali, and Jayce. 

Everyone was greeting each other for a little bit before class started. When the bell rang everyone became quiet, and the teacher walked to the front of the classroom.

“Hello everyone, I am Mr. Faker. Before we get started if you could please look at the seating chart I arranged and grab a sheet of paper to my right that would be great.”

Half of the room sighed, including the duo. A seating chart this early into the year? No one would be able to sit with their friends for even a second. 

As Aphelios went up to grab a paper, he looked at the projected image behind Mr. Faker depicting the seating chart. The classroom did not have desks, but rather there were thick built tables that functioned as lab stations. The tables sat two people each, with there being eight tables in the middle with two on each side, and four along the back. 

“I have put everyone in pairs for when we do projects and certain assignments. However, sometimes you will work with other groups or even be allowed to pick your own”

After scanning the chart for a little bit Aphelios eventually found his name. He was sitting on the top left corner of the outside tables. He looked at who his lab partner was going to be. 

“Settrigh,” he whispered to himself.

He turned to where he was going to sit, and saw his lab partner sitting to the left of the seat. Settrigh had an intimidating physique. His red hair was messy and rough, and his arms were crossed which made his muscles pop out more. The fact that he was wearing a tank top added the cherry on top of a buff sundae. 

Aphelios’ heart started to beat faster. These were the kinds of people that made him scared to go to school. He was already thinking of switching seats, but he knew he had to sit with him for at least one day. He gingerly walked over to his seat to sit down, but while he was pulling out his chair he was interrupted. 

“You Aphelios?” Settrigh asked with a dead gaze looking straight at him.

Scared for his life, Apelios replied, “oh uh... yeah,”

“Cool. My name’s Settrigh, but just call me Sett please.”

“Oh… sure thing,” 

The shy one sat down with his paper in hand.

Mr. Faker announced to the class, “Alright class, if you could please guide your eyes to the top of the page.”

Aphelios had trouble focusing on the paper. His hands were clammy and beads of sweat were slowly forming on his forehead. He looked to his right to see Sett crossing his arms and staring at the page on the table. He scanned Sett’s features from a closer distance, paying close attention to his chiseled jawline and biceps. Suddenly, Aphelios’ cheeks started to turn red a little bit.

Sett was kinda hot. 


	2. The Football Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is some music/marching band jargon in this chapter!
> 
> Scale: An organized grouping of notes  
> Tempo: The speed of the music  
> Conductor/Conducting: The conductor guides the band and gives the tempo  
> Woodwinds: Instruments like the flute, clarinet, and saxophone  
> Brass: Instruments like the trumpet, trombone, and tuba
> 
> Gock Block: A plastic shell-like instrument that is hit to produce a clicking sound. In marching band it is used to give the tempo across a wide area  
> Drum Major: The conductor for the marching band.  
> "Band ten-hut" and "One": The call and response used to get the band's attention  
> "Set": The signal that the band will be playing shortly  
> Battery: The drums of the marching band  
> Colorguard: In marching band the colorguard are a group of performers that dance with various equipment to enhance the marching show

Sett has been on Aphelios’ mind ever since the first day of school. This was the first time he had felt any sort of attraction towards someone and it was… a guy. He had never really felt attracted to anyone before, so everyone, including him, just assumed he was straight. 

Thoughts rushed through his head. 

“Why do I feel like this?” “What will everyone think about this?” “What will _Alune_ think about this?” 

Every Time he went to chemistry Aphelios flustered and interacted with Sett as little as possible. 

\-----

It was Friday, the first one of the school year. A football game was going to happen in the Bandle High School Stadium, which meant that Aphelios, Alune, and Neeko would be playing in the stands with the marching band. Football games were always a big deal at the high school, and it was always the marching band’s first public performance of the school year. 

While everyone was preparing in concert band, the twins were having a conversation about the game later tonight.

“Hey Phel, we have rehearsal until 5:30 right?” Alune asked while grabbing an oboe reed.

“Yeah, afterwards we have an hour break to get something to eat and change into our uniforms.” responded Aphelios as he put his flute together.

“Sweet. Hey have you heard that Rakan and the Charmers are gonna be performing at a venue near us?”

“What?! No way!”

“Yeah! They’re gonna be performing their new album. I’ll see if I can preorder us tickets.”

“Yes Please.”

Ms. Buvelle walked to the podium at the front of the band room.

“Alright. Good morning class! Now that we all have our instruments we will start playing today. Let’s start with a concert B flat scale shall we?”

It had been a few months since anyone had played in concert band. While a good amount of students were in marching band, concert band required a different set of technique and fundamentals. And so, their first not so good sounding note rang throughout the band room.

The rest of the school day was rough for Aphelios. The closer it got to sixth period the more tense he became.

Fifth period did not put him into an easy mood. Mr. Faker assigned a quiz this early into the year. Throughout the quiz he couldn’t stop thinking about Sett. The thought of Sett and the quiz made it feel like he was in a 1 v 2. 

Luckily he was able to make it through the school day, and the marching band rehearsal afterwards.

\-----

The football game was going to start in about an hour. Aphelios, Alune, Neeko, and the rest of the marching band started to put on their uniforms. Once a few minutes went by the drum major of the band, Ahri, stepped onto the band room podium with a drumstick and a gock block. 

_CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK_

“BAND TEN-HUT,”

“ONE” 

Everyone yelled in response to the fast tempo given while they stood still at attention, arms firmly to their sides and their backs straight. 

“It’s the first football game of the season!” Ahri yelled once she got everyone’s eyes on her.

The band room blew up with cheers and joy, the veteran upperclassmen producing more excitement than the rookie freshman

Ahri spoke once more, “We will be lining up in 30 minutes. In the meantime go meet up with your section and warm up. Break!”

Everyone broke off and the room filled up with side conversations.

“Hey Phel! We’re meeting by the tree right?” Alune asked as she approached Aphelios.

“The one by the theater? Yeah,” he responded.

“Sweet. Hey, you doing okay? You looked out of it during lunch.”

“Oh uh… yeah I’m fine.”

“You sure bro? We could go to one of the practice rooms if you wanna talk about it.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll meet you at the tree with both of our flutes. I think Taliyah should be there by now.”

“Okay, see you then!”

Warm ups were just like how they usually went in previous years. Everyone would get any last minute preparations done at this point, and the section leaders would lead their section in various exercises. Taliyah was the section leader for this season, so she led the flutes in playing various scales and pep tunes. 

After warmups everyone lined up to march to the stadium. This part was always a favorite of the twins and Neeko. Everyone would move in two lines and dance to the cadences provided by the battery. Since Neeko was in the battery, she was responsible for keeping time and making sure everyone was having a good time, something she always excelled at. 

The marching band had their own spot in the bleachers, with Ahri in front of them to conduct at a moment’s notice. The woodwinds and colorguard were in the front, with the brass behind them and battery sandwiched in the middle. When the game started, the Bandle High School football players ran down onto the field. 

“SET!” Ahri yelled to signal the band.

_Wait… Sett!? Where? Ohhhh that kinda set._

Ahri’s hands started to conduct a fast tempo.

“Five, Six... Five, Six, Seven, Eight”

The marching band began to play the school fight song. Everyone was moving to the beat. Each section had certain movements that went along to the fight song, and even the colorguard were dancing too. 

After the fight song, everyone in the band stayed standing up to watch the game, since they were required to. Aphelios looked at everyone on the field. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that one of the football players… was Sett _._

 _Oh no…_ he thought to himself. 

“Yo Phel, you good? It looks like someone just hit you in the stomach,” Alune asked quietly so no one else could hear.

“Mhm. I was just uhhh… wondering if we were going to Danny’s after the game,” he responded.

“Oh, of course we are! Zoe and Lux are coming along as well since they’re both in the student section”

“Great! I can’t wait” 

_Was it really that obvious?? I need to stop thinking about him_.

Before halftime arrived, the marching band moved to the side of the field to prepare for their show. The halftime show always had only a third of the audience paying attention. The dancers and cheerleaders usually got more applause, and then people usually got snacks when the marching band showed up. The marching show, Cool Noises, was a bunch of contemporary pieces that quite frankly confused everyone, even the marching band. 

The rest of the game went on like usual and Bandle was winning by a landslide. The high school had one of the better football teams in the area. 

Aphelios really only paid attention to the field when Sett was on it. He tried extra careful not to get Alune to notice again.

_Why do I have to be like this? And why did it have to be Sett of all people?_

The shyer twin had trouble concentrating when he was playing. At some points he even stopped playing and simply moved with the band. 

The final score was 35-7, with Bandle getting the victory. After the game, the marching band went back to the band room to change out and wind down. However, some of the students were going to Danny’s as a post-football game tradition. 

\-----

“Table for five please,” Alune said to the cashier

“Sure thing. How much of your party is here now?” the cashier asked.

“Oh, just three”

“We’ll seat you when you’re all here. In the meantime you can sit on the couch over there.”

“Sweet. Thank You!” 

Neeko, Aphelios, and Alune sat down while they waited for Lux and Zoe.

Alune turned to Neeko.

“Yo Neeko, are you excited for season 2 of Rioters to come out?”

“Yesss, It comes out in a month right?”

“Yup! We should totally have a viewing party!”

“That’s a great idea I’ll see if I can invite you ove-”

_SLAM_

“We’re heEeEeEeEere!” Lux sung with impeccable vibrato.

“Hey guys!” Zoe cheered, red hair falling over her shoulders

Alune got up from the couch

“Yay, we can grab our table now!” 

Lux and Zoe entered the restaurant, still in their student section attire. Lux was wearing black tights and a crop top with makeup of the school colors adorning her face. Zoe was simply wearing shorts and a button up that matched the school colors. With the entire party being there, everyone was guided to their table. 

Everyone knew what they wanted immediately. While Zoe and Lux ordered a small appetizer, the band kids got a full meal. Standing and playing for a few hours straight takes a lot of energy. 

“Well that was a good first game of the year!” Lux said as the waiter left with their orders.

Zoe snickered, “If this were Club of Champions our team definitely scaled harder than the other.”

Aphelios and Neeko both chucked in response while Lux and Alune rolled their eyes.

“Lmao we had a better team comp,” Neeko added. 

Lux chimed in “You clubbers. Anyway how was it on the band side?”

Alune spoke up, “Oh it was just the usual performance. It’s a shame the marching band and the student section are on different sides. We would be able to hype each other up so much.”

“U… uhh,” Aphelios stuttered.

Alune turned to her brother, along with the rest of the group. 

“Yeah bro?” 

“Wait nevermind,” he mumbled while looking down, “I didn’t want to interrupt”

Lux gave a sympathetic look.

“Don’t worry! We were done with that tangent anyways”

Aphelios was starting to blush

“Do you guys uhhhh, know who number fifteen was on our football team?” he tried to feign innocence.

Zoe whispered, “Number fifteen, bu-”

“Zoe please,” Lux interrupted as the two shared looks of mischief. 

“Yeah I know of him. Why do you ask?”

Aphelios started to panic. He needed to think of a reason quickly. He wasn’t ready to share his secret just yet. 

“We’re… partners in chemistry!” he exclaimed.

“Ohhhh that dude,” Neeko said.

“Settrigh? Oh right he goes by Sett. Yeah Garen knows him. He’s quite the mysterious dude. My brother says that he’s always by himself and doesn’t hang out with the rest of the team. He definitely has a good amount of girls going after him despite that,” Lux answered. 

Aphelios felt a little crushed inside.

_Damn I don’t even have a chance do I._

“Ah I see. Thanks Lux. Yeah I wanted to know more about him since we’re gonna be working a lot together in class”

“No problem!” Lux replied. 

Everyone didn’t think much of Aphelios’ inquiry besides Neeko. She had a slight suspicion as to exactly why he would want to know more about Sett, but to be sure she decided to wait it out just a bit longer. 

After a few minutes everyone’s food showed up. Alune, Neeko, and Aphelios devoured their food while the other two nibbled away. 

\------

“That hit the spot!” Neeko sighed after finishing her food. 

Alune added on, “Agreed. Post-football game food hits differently, right Phel? … Phel?”

Her twin was spacing off and looking elsewhere.

“Huh?! Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You’re good bro. Hey, have you been okay recently? You’ve seemed out of it lately.”

“I’m fine”

His friends were all worried something went wrong. Aphelios had a tendency to bottle things up, and his friends always tried to make him open up so he could have a chance to vent. 

Neeko chimed in, “Dude if there’s something bothering you we’re here for you.”

“Yeah! We’ve got your back,” Zoe elated.

Looks of worry turned to endearment. They all wanted the best for him. 

“I-”

He froze in place. 

_Not right now. I don’t feel ready to share it with them just yet._

“Thanks everyone,” He said with a faint smile.

Alune turned to her left and gave her brother a hug. 

“We’ve got you bro.”

Aphelios felt a rush of emotion from the gesture. It was bittersweet knowing that Alune had his back, but he still couldn’t tell her just yet. 

She let go and signaled the waiter. 

“One more thing. If there’s anything you’re worrying about go at it with confidence!” cheered Lux.

_She’s right. I need to go at things with more confidence, but where should I start? What’s something I can do to test my limits?_

_“_ I’ll keep that in mind Lux. Thanks for your help guys,” replied a confidence boosted Aphelios. 

_Maybe I should start talking to Sett._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's chapter 2! Thank you to everyone that showed your support. It means a lot to me :) Next time stuff will get a tiny bit spicy so be prepared.


	3. The Cheerleader

“Okay class! I’ll be handing a worksheet on the topic we learned in class today. If you don’t finish it in class it’ll be for homework, so keep that in mind”

Mr. Faker walked around the classroom and distributed the worksheet. People started walking around after all the papers were out.

“Please stay in your seats for this one. You’ll be able to choose your partners soon.”

Phel sat with a defeated look plastered on his face much like everyone else in the class, and sat back down in his chair.

_ I really wanted to work with Neeko on this one. I guess this gives me an opportunity to talk with Sett. _

He sighed and looked at the paper in front of him.

_ Oh it’s just balancing equations. This should be easy. _

Chemistry was a subject Aphelios had no problem with. It honestly was just simple algebra, so he was already halfway done with the worksheet.

_ Okay if I make it 5O² that will make it so- _

“Hey… do you understand this?”

Phel’s heart skipped a beat at his painfully attractive voice.

_ Did he just…? _

Sett initiated a conversation with Aphelios. The introverted lab partner had no idea how to react. He was frozen solid.

“U… uh yEAh” 

“How do you do number 1?”

“You have to uhhh… look at both sides of the equation and m- make sure there’s the same amount of the same ummm element” 

“So you would have four nitrogen instead of two?’

“mhm”

“Got it. Thanks”

Those few words made Aphelios go red. His forehead started to form beads of sweat.

“N- no problem” 

Silence began to loom over two and the sweat on Phel’s brow started to accumulate more. A few minutes passed before Sett needed some more help.

“Hey, how did you finish number 5?”

He felt like he was having a heart attack at that point and hoped the football player hadn’t noticed all of his nervous sweat.

“Well... I saw that there wa-”

“Hey Sett did you need some help?”

The two looked over at the direction the voice came from. Across their table was a girl in a tank top and yoga pants. Her hair was a silver like color and at a long bob, and her makeup had dramatic eyeliner and sparkles to contrast her tanned skin.

_ Where have I seen her before? _

Sett responded, “Oh Qiyana, I was going over number five with Aphelios”

_ He just referred to me by my name oh my god _

“I can help you if you’d like”

Aphelios felt devastated. He finally had a chance to have a conversation with Sett but it was already gone to that girl.

_ Wait… she’s one of the cheerleaders at the football games _

“Oh… okay sure”

The girl walked over and pulled her chair in front of Sett. She gave Aphelios a slight side eye that gave him a clear message of “he’s mine”.

That gesture sent an arrow right though his heart. He wanted to go crawl in a corner and curl up into a ball.

_ Maybe I should get my priorities straight. I really don’t have a chance with him after all. _

The rest of sixth period did not go well for Aphelios. Qiyana was talking to Sett the entire time and Aphelios felt worse and worse with every word spoken. 

_ Is Mr. Faker gonna tell her to move?? _

He couldn’t focus on his worksheet very well after that. Mistakes became more and more prevalent as the problems progressed so he kept having to erase and redo the problems. Despite this, Phel was among one of the first people to finish the worksheet, so after he passed in his worksheet he sat back down and browsed his phone. Eventually, other people started to follow suit, including Qiyana and Sett. Once this happened Aphelios looked at the two with neither of them realising it. 

_ She’s gonna stay there isn’t she… _

Once they got close enough he looked back at his phone. To no one’s surprise they were still talking to each other. When the two sat down they continued their conversation, making Aphelios despise the fact that he was right next to them.

“So, how’s football coming along?” 

“It’s alright. I can’t tell if we’re worse or better than last year”

“We are early into the season. Hey, the next game is away right?”

“I think so yeah”

“Yessss, that means I get to skip this class. And that also means the marching band isn’t there to invade our space”

_ WAIT WHA- DID SHE JUST?! _

Phel was absolutely furious, and every inch of his body tensed up with rage. It took a lot of self control to not jump up and yell in an emotional fit to defend the band.

Sett tilted his head, saying “Woah what did they ever do to you?”

“I mean I don’t haaate them, but I just think they’re not needed at the football games. It’s not like a lot of people pay attention to them anyway” 

_ Okay she did not need to say that what the hell, but I did not expect that from Sett. _

Luckily, the bell rang and everyone started rushing for the door. Aphelios waited for everyone to leave first while waiting for Neeko.

“I’m done packing up, lets go Phel”

“Alright.”

The two walked out of the door and started to head towards the band room. 

“Yo, is something wrong?”

“N-Nothing too important…”

“Aw come on, your face is all scrunched up and emo, you know you can tell me anything”

“Well…”

_ I can’t let her know about Sett yet… _

“I was sitting next to Sett, and Qiyana came over”

“Yeah?”

“Well they were talking about the football game”

“It’s an away game right? A 5 to 9 rehearsal for us!”

“Yeah I know, but she started saying how we took up space and said no one payed attention to us”

“Ooo ouch. Well she isn't entirely wrong.”

“Yeah I know but the way she said it rubbed me the wrong way”

“Yeah I get what you mean, but hey isn’t like, most of the cheerleaders like that? Don't let it get to ya!”

“Yeah…”

\-----

Aphelios walked into the classroom the next day. He always walked a little quicker to chemistry to talk with Neeko, but to also make sure that he would go to his seat right after Sett sat down. 

He walked up to Neeko who had an ecstatic look on her face

“I can’t believe we’re getting two new champions! Isn’t that exciting?!” Neeko yelled.

“I know right! I hope their lore is good” 

“Their cinematics are gonna be great. I can feel it” 

Phel looked over to see Sett sitting on the lab table.

_ Now’s my time to go _

“Okay class is gonna start in a little bit so Imma head out”

“Bruh, okay we’ll talk after class”

“Definitely”

Aphelios slowly approached his seat trying not to get Sett’s attention. Once he sat down he folded his hands on the table and started to blush.

_ Okay… what now? _

“Hey”

It was a voice that Phel knew all too well. Sett’s voice startled him since it came out of nowhere. He looked at Sett only to be greeted by his very… very beautiful amber eyes.

_ Hot damn _

“Yeah?”

“Do you… understand what’s going on in this class?”

“I- uhhh,” Aphelios shrugged, “Sorta, why?”

“I have no idea what’s going on”

This puzzled Phel. Mr. Faker wasn’t the most entertaining teacher, but he was extremely efficient at explaining new concepts and ideas.

“Well… what do your notes look like?”

“Uhhh…”

Sett hoisted up his backpack on the table and started to ruffle through it. Eventually he took out a notebook that looks like it was never used and flipped to the first page.

“This”

Aphelios had a blank expression as he scanned over the notebook.

_ Okay play it cool play it cool. Try not to mention the fact that his notebook is cleaner than Zoe’s k/d/a… _

“Oh… how come it’s blank?”

_ Please don’t take offense to that please don’t take offense to that _

“It’s the last period of the day and I have football right after so I get really tired. The teacher doesn’t really care if I fall asleep anyway”

“Well… you need to write at least something down if you want to know something”

“I guess…”

*RING RING RING*

_ Damn the bell cut us short _

Everyone got in their seats as the teacher took to the front of the classroom.

“Alright we have a lab today and as promised you guys will get to choose your partners”

The classroom lit up with a cacophony of cheers and yesses.

“Once I pass out the lab worksheet go ahead and move wherever, but don’t get too loud or else I reconsider giving you guys more opportunities like this”

Mr. Faker began to walk around the classroom to hand out the papers like always.

Aphelios began to get anxious at the thought of choosing partners.

_ Maybe I can partner with Sett _

As soon as the thought crossed Aphelios’ mind an obnoxious voice rang from across his table.

“Hey Sett, can we work together? I can help you out again like yesterday”

“Okay sure”

“Great! You can move over to me if you’d like” 

_ I- wha-  _

Phel looked down at his paper in defeat. Qiyana was clearly trying to get with Sett and it broke his little gay heart.

_ Why did she have to be in this class _

He moped in silent sadness for a little bit when suddenly a figure appeared at the corner of his eye. When he propped his head up Neeko was looking directly at him. 

“Hey dude, do you have a partner?”

He sighed, “No”

“Well do you wanna be pa-”

“Yes”

“Here, let’s go to my table since no one’s there”

The duo walked back to Neeko’s table. Once they sat down Neeko started to read the worksheet while Aphelios looked back at Sett. 

“Okay, so-”

Neeko looked to where Aphelios was looking at

_ Wait why is he looking at him. Could he actually be- _

Aphelios jumped and turned to Neeko. 

“Huh wait wha? Sorry I drifted off for a bit”

“No worries dude. I was just wondering how we were gonna assemble our lab”

“Hm how about…”

...

Sett looked back at Aphelios talking with the joyful blue haired girl, a small smile plastered on his face. 

_ I guess he’s dating Neeko, he looked so eager to be with her and he looks so happy with her right now…  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I'm back. I've been playing some league in the meantime. Why they gotta make Spirit Blossom Yasuo look like that ;-;. I don't really have much else to say except :feelsbadman: for Sett and Phel.


	4. The Phrase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They really had to make a dating sim in League as I was writing this huh

It was a fine day at Bandle High School. Mr. Faker was going over a new topic to his class. He was at the front of the room with a projector showing the basics of stoichiometry. Naturally, Aphelios paid close attention to the new subject in order to not fall behind. 

_Ok so in order to solve this I need to convert the grams of aluminium into mols..._

He was able to finish the notes before Mr. Faker moved on, so he looked around the classroom. Mostly everyone else was still writing and trying to figure out the example problem.While he continued to aimlessly look around, something at the corner of his eye caught his attention: movement where it normally wouldn't be. Sett had his notebook and was actually trying to jot information down. He was actually paying attention to the board and using the notebook as its intended purpose.

_Wait he actually took my advice?!_

Phel sat in silent shock, as the thought of Sett actually following through with his advice never crossed his mind. He stared at Sett’s notebook until Mr. Faker needed to move on.

“Okay once we’re done with this final slide you guys can just chill for the rest of class. I didn’t assign anything today but make sure you turn in your lab report from yesterday by the end of the week” 

A wave of relief swept the class, and as for Phel, this meant he had another opportunity to converse with Sett. Once Mr. Faker ended the presentation, he turned off the projector and signaled the class that they were done.

“We’re done, but don’t leave until the bell rings”

Everyone put away their notebooks and took out their phones as usual. The room was slowly being filled up with numerous side conversations. Though Aphelios was still shocked that Sett of all people was writing notes.

_He actually took my advice and he wrote things down…! like, holy shit_

He was still silently freaking out until a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“So do you go to the football games?”

Aphelios jumped in his seat slightly before answering, “Yeah… I technically go to every one”

“Huh I didn’t know you were into football”

Sett gave a smirk that made Aphelios go red.

_WHY DID HE HAVE TO DO ME LIKE THAT_

Aphelios put his hand behind his head and gave a nervous smile.

“Not really. I’m uhhh… I’m actually in the band haha...”

“Oh really? I always thought the band was-”

“Hey Sett whatcha doin?”

The two turned to the front to see Qiyana eyeing Sett. Aphelios filled up with rage. Not only did she interrupt their conversation, he was still offended about the comment she made the other day.

_I can’t believe this bi-_

“Huh? Oh… nothing why?”

“I heard that Jynx was gonna throw a mad party after the football game tomorrow. Wanna go with me?”

“Sounds nice”

Phel’s heart sunk at that very statement, but he noticed something different about his crush. His face had a slight frown, his brows were slightly scrunched, and the tone of his voice obviously changed. Though it seemed like qiyana hadn't noticed.

_Why does he look miserable whenever she talks to him..._

“Great! I’ll text you the details”

_Of course she has his phone number_

From then on, Phel mindlessly browsed his phone for the rest of the period. He felt like he was chasing someone that would never fall in love with him, although the fact that Sett acted more happy around him that Qiyana was very intriguing. 

As soon as the bell rang he walked over to Neeko so they could go to the band room together. 

“Yo dude, you look like something’s been on your mind”

“Kinda yeah”

“Here let’s talk about it once we’re out of the classroom”

They grabbed their stuff and proceeded to weave their way through the after-school crowd.

“So what’s up dude?”

“I always thought the band people hated the football people”

“I mean we don’t _haaaaaate_ them but it’s more like a mild resentment. Why the thought?”

“I don’t know. Near the end of class Sett asked me about football games”

“Mhm”

“And then he thought I went to the football games ‘cause I was into the sport but then I said I was in the band”

“Ooooo what was his reaction?”

“He was about to say something when Qiyana interrupted him and stole the conversation”

“Yeesh. She really has a thing for him doesn’t she”

“I know right”

He rolled his eyes and started to look at the ground.

“Oh we’re almost to the band room. I gotta go get my rehearsal clothes. I’ll see you in a little bit!”

“Oh ok byeeeee”

They waved to each other and parted ways. 

\-----

The next day was probably the peak of Aphelios’ year so far. Since there was an away game the cheerleaders and the lower level football teams would have early release, which meant that Qiyana wasn’t there for sixth period. Due to Neeko fawning over the new Club of Champions character, Phel wasn’t able to go to his seat before class and talk to Sett. Once the class was closing on its final minutes, he knew this would be the time to strike. 

_I finally have a chance to talk to Sett without Qiyana budging in!_

Words started to form at the tip of Phel’s tongue, but he was overwhelmed by a wave of anxiety. He felt like his body was going to explode if he didn’t speak up. Luckily, he didn’t even need to start the conversation.

“Hey, you know Qiyana right?”

He turned to the sound of the voice and saw Sett who was looking at his phone, waiting for him to answer. Though with the mention of that cheerleader, Aphelios was momentarily filled with petty anger.

“Oh yeah, she’s _hot_ isn’t she?” he replied sarcastically 

“Oh. Yeah, I guess…”

_Wait did I mess that up? Oh no… I actually blew it._

Sett had a semi-surprised face as he focused more of his attention to his phone. Silence loomed over the two as the conversation came to an abrupt stop. Neither of them knew how to react. The amount of awkwardness between them was unbearable. Phel was tense because he thought his words didn’t get through, and Sett was too dense to realise that Phel was being sarcastic. 

_I… I can’t do this can I..._

Unfortunately, no words were spoken between them for the rest of class. When the bell rang Aphelios quickly packed up his belongings and rushed to Neeko.

“Geez you’re quick. We’ll leave as soon as I’m done packing”

Phel couldn’t shake his mind off of the botched interaction with Sett. His hope withered away with every minute that passed,

_It’s no use, what’s the point anyway_

Meanwhile, Neeko couldn’t stop gushing over the new character revealed in their small indie game. She was unknowingly talking nonstop to a wall named Aphelios, who was too busy glooming to pay attention, before the two ran into their other friends. 

“She’s gonna zoom around the map so quickly, and I- hey guys!”

Alune, Lux and Zoe were standing next to the school gates.

Zoe was the first to reply, “Yo, you two excited about the new character?!”

“Of course!!! She looks so cool! She kinda looks like someone I know”

The two were on a hype train that looked like it wasn’t going to end. The rest of the group just awkwardly watched from the sidelines.

Lux whispered to Alune, “Anyways you guys have rehearsal at five right?”

“Mhm” replied Alune.

Her gaze shifted from Zoe and Neeko to Aphelios. 

_Wait… something’s not right_

Upon closer inspection, Aphelios looked like something serious was going on in his head. His posture was slouched with his arms crossed, and he was looking down with his eyes full of dread.

“Hey, Phel are… are you okay?” Alune asked

Zoe and Neeko stopped their conversation entirely. Lux stopped whatever she was doing as well. Their attention was focused on the twins, but mainly the one in trouble.

Aphelios realized everyone had their eyes on him.

_No… why is everyone on me?_

“I…”

He was avoiding eye contact with everyone. This was a telltale sign that something was definitely wrong.

Alune looked around before she focused on her brother.

“Here let’s move to a place with less people”

“N- no… we’re fine here”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes”

“Okay, then what’s up? You haven’t been your usual self lately and I’m worried”

_I can’t tell her. I’m not ready, plus there are a bunch of strangers around us_

He was scrambling to find an excuse to get Alune off his case.

“I’m just... stressed”

“About what?”

_I need something she won’t be suspicious of_

“Fifth period was especially bad today a- and I had no one in that class to talk to”

“Awww no bro”

She wrapped her arms around Aphelios and squeezed him with all of her strength.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I know you’ve been struggling in that class because of the people in there”

Phel reciprocated the hug.

“Yeah… I don’t know what to do”

The twins let go and looked straight into each other's eyes.

“Have you talked with a counselor about it?”

“I have, but I can’t switch since it doesn’t fit in my schedule”

“Really?! That sucks”

Lux intervened, “I’m sorry you’re stuck in that class Aphelios. Is there any way we can cheer you up?”

“I’m not sure”

“Hmmm we can’t do anything right now since you have rehearsal soon… Oh, we have Monday off! Maybe we could all go to the mall?”

“Ooo that sounds like a good idea” replied Alune.

A wave of relief came across Aphelios.

_Ok she’s off my tail now._

The atmosphere amongst the friend group became more and more light-hearted.

“Which one were you thinking of?” asked Zoe.

Lux replied, “Oh, I was thinking of the one in downtown Zaun.”

“Wait that’s near where Lillia lives!” shouted Neeko.

“That reminds me, how has it been going between you two?” Alune asked.

“It’s been going pretty well. I visited her house and met her parents last weekend. They seem pretty nice.”

“Oh you two are officially dating now?”

“I mean… I wouldn’t really say we’re _daaaating_.”

“Wait… but over the summer you said you two made out…”

Neeko began to scratch the back of her head and look down in embarrassment. 

“I wouldn’t _really_ consider the fact we made out _daaaating_ though” 

Lux interjected, “True, if that were the case me and Ezreal would be dating”

Everyone turned their eyes to Lux with their faces entirely blank.

She shrugged, “Stuff happens behind the curtains I’ll just say that”

 _~~I wish I could do that with Sett~~ _ ~~~~

Alune was struggling to maintain composure

“ _aAAnyway_ I’m totally cool if Lillia were to join us”

“Really?! You don’t mind if I bring her along?”

“I don’t mind. What about everyone else?”

“I’m fine”

“Same here”

Aphelios nodded no. 

“This is great, I'll see if she’s available. I think you all will really like her” 

Alune clapped her hands.

“Perfect! I have to go home and pick up my rehearsal clothes, so I’ll see you soon!”

“Okay byeeeee. I actually have a theater meeting in 5 minutes so I have to go as well.” replied Lux. 

“Aww are we splitting up already? How about you Zoe?” Neeko asked. 

“I think I’m fre- wait… I FORGOT I’M SUPPOSED TO CARPOOL WITH SOMEONE RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL”

Zoe dashed off in a flash. 

“Classic Zoe” chuckled Neeko. 

“I guess it’s just us for now.”

She turned to Aphelios.

“Here we can just sit by the band room”

“Okay”

Once they sat down Neeko was ready to ask away.

_Now I can see if my intuition was correct_

“So… how has the whole chemistry partner thing been working out for you?”

Aphelios froze at the question.

_Wha- does she know?!_

“It’s been going alright. Yours?”

“Mine is eh. I don’t get along with mine suuuuper well but we get stuff done.”

“That’s good”

“ _You_ seem to be getting along with _Sett_ quite _well_ ”

Her voice had a certain tilt to it, indicating that she had an alternative motive behind the question. That obviously raised aphelio’s anxiety levels to the roof and he visibly started to panic.

Neeko started to panic as well. She didn’t mean to put him on the spot this quickly. 

_WAIT I THINK I WENT TOO FAR_

Aphelios knew something was up. 

_How did… but I haven’t told anyone yet_

He felt extremely conflicted about what she just said. 

_I can’t believe it… but also she would understand me the most…_

“Okay… you got me…”

Neeko turned to Aphelios in anticipation. 

“hmm?...”

“Neeko… I’m gay”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the ride! Next chapter will be pretty laid back but will still be filled with fun times.


	5. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I wrote something small to past the time. This happens right after the previous chapter. The next chapter should be ready in a few weeks!

“Wow _haha_ … who could’ve known?” she shrugged. 

The amount of sarcasm being emanated was so unbearable that even Sett might’ve been able to pick up on it if he was there. 

“Wa- was it that obvious?!”

“...”

“AGGGHH!” 

Aphelios curled up into a ball. His face was becoming more and more red every second. Anyone in his situation probably would’ve had the same reaction. 

Neeko patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

“Hey hey I don’t think the others know… wait do they know?”

“Nooooo” he groaned.

“Am I the only one?”

“Yeahhhhhhhh”

“I see…”

Neeko removed her hand from the gay mess. She wasn’t sure what to do at this point. Her flubbed interrogation of Aphelios put them both in an uncomfortable situation.

_Come on Neeko think_

“Hey dude… I’m really _reaaalllly_ sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that. I basically forced you to come out to me.”

“Huh?” he tilted his head back up and looked at the sky, “Oh… don’t worry about it. I’m sure you didn’t mean to”

He turned his head to Neeko.

“Plus I’d rather it be you than anyone else,” he said with a faint smile.

Neeko blushed from those words. She felt sympathetic towards Phel coming out to her. 

“Really?!”

“Yeah haha. I mean you seemed so open and chill about when you came out.”

“Oh uhhhhh about that… I actually had a lot of conflicting thoughts when I first met you guys…”

“You were scared too?”

“Of course! I know I act very level headed most of the time, but for those first few months I was friends with you guys I was really scared”

“I had no idea I- I’m so sorry”

“No worries we’re past that haha” 

Aphelios was blushing from embarrassment. When they first met Neeko she just seemed like the cool transfer student, and then when she came out it was played so nonchalantly that it was surprising to know that she was really scared to do it.

Both of them still felt like this entire situation was very awkward to be in. Everything sort of went from 0-100 really quickly. The two were both thinking of what to say next. Every second that passed felt like a minute. Suddenly, Neeko decided to blurt something out. 

“Wait this is good timing actually. If Lillia is able to make it on Monday we can answer any questions you might have!”

“That would be great!”

Phel’s eyes lit up. After weeks of inner turmoil he was finally able to get something off his chest. Although it was unexpected, both of them felt like their bond as friends increased dramatically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh sorry I haven't posted in a while. Music school is kicking my ass right now. I promise I will finish this fic eventually ;)


	6. The Mall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really put you guys on hiatus just so u could read something that was semi filler ;-;

It was the following Monday, and everyone at Bandle High School had the day off. After some careful planning, everyone was able to make it to the mall, including Neeko’s “friend” Lillia. 

“Ooo there’s a parking spot,” said Alune.

She and Aphelios pulled into a lot right next to the left side of the mall. 

“Hey Phel, do you know if anyone else is here yet?”

“I haven’t seen anything in the group chat so I think we’re the first ones here”

“Ok, I’ll message the chat right now”

After Alune finished her text, she and Aphelios stepped out of the car. The mall was fairly huge. It was two stories high and contained a variety of shops and eateries. It also included an outdoor portion with many different eateries and even a movie theater. 

“I just messaged the group, we’ll be meeting them at the food court. Come on Phel!” signaled Alune.

“Oki”

The twins walked into one of the massive stores that took up the side of the mall. They navigated through the seemingly endless supply of clothes and perfume before making it out. When they exited the store, the food court was a couple minute stroll to their left. It seemed like everyone else had the same idea of going to the mall on Monday. The place was filled up with people, and their voices created a cacophony made up of different conversations. 

After weaving through the crowd, the twins eventually made it through the food court. Unfortunately, there were not many tables available since so many people were packed into the mall. 

“Hmmmmmm… there’s a table for six right there! Quick let’s snatch it!” yelled Alune.

She grabbed Aphelios’ wrist and they rushed over to the table

“AaaAAaHHH” squealed an unprepared Aphelios.

As soon as they reached the table, Alune took off her jacket and put it on one of the chairs. 

“Here, let’s put our stuff on the other chairs so no one else takes them.”

They really only could take off their jackets, as anything else would’ve been a violation. Once that was done and over with the twins sat down to take a little breather.

“Ok sweet Zoe should be here soon” said Alune as she checked her phone. 

“Huh that’s a first” sneered Aphelios.

The two tried to keep in their laughter, despite the fact that no one around them really cared.

“Remember last year when she showed up almost an hour late to the New Years party?”

“Oh yeahhhh”

“HEYGUYSLONGTIMENOSEE!!!”

The twins immediately turned to the direction of the voice, knowing exactly who it was. 

“She really couldn’t have been quieter huh,” shrugged alune. 

“Mhm…” replied her brother. 

A familiar red-haired girl was strolling towards them. 

“Hey Zoe,” said Aphelios while waving his hand. 

“Ready to get your shopping on?” cheered Alune.

“Of course!” responded Zoe, “We just gotta wait for the others”

“Well you’re so loud that isn't necessary, Zoe” snickered Aphelios.

“I-”

“He isn’t wrong,” Lux’s voice came from behind them

“Come on not you too :(((“

“How did you say that with your mouth?”

“Say what???”

“N-... nevermind” replied a shook Lux.

_I don’t even want to know..._

Once again from behind them a giggling could be heard.

Neeko joyfully clapped her hands, “looks like the gangs all here!”

A head peeks from behind Neeko, though it didn’t really hide her well as the girl was taller than Neeko.

“Oh! You must be Lillia!” Zoe yelled once again.

“G- greetings…”

“C’mon Lillia, deary” said neeko, “Don’t be scared, I'm here!”

Lillia made a small eep sound as neeko stepped to the side.

“These are all my friends from Bandle! This is Lux, she’s a reaaallly talented theater kid.”

“HelloOoOoOo” 

“And this is Zoe. Kinda quirky, kinda gremlin but we all love her”

“Wha-... fiiine I guess you’re not wrong” 

“Over here are the twins Alune and Aphelios”

“Ohh yea I ‘member ya tellin’ me ‘bout ‘em before! Mostly about th’ lad over there.”

Lillia spoke softly and looked at Aphelios with a kind but stern stare.

“Yo! I like your accent where you from?” asked Zoe

“’M from a wee region in Ionia...”

“That’s cool!” responded Alune.

“So where are you guys planning on going? We can’t go to Hot Topic because that’s a copyright violation.” Lux mentioned. 

Alune nodded, “True true…”

“How about Forever 22?”

“Or Evelynn’s Secret!” 

“I wanna go to Game Shop!” suggested Neeko

“Wait… I kinda want to go to Evelynn’s secret Alune…” whispered Lux

Zoe nodded in agreement, “same here…”

Aphelios, Neeko, and Lillia stood there in uncomfy silence.

“Ohhh yeah, sorry Phel” said Alune, “but Neeko and Lillia, wouldn’t you want to come?”

Neeko blushed and waved her hands in front of her, “Oh no no no, no thanks”

“I think I’ll be skippin’ on that s’ well” seconded Lillia, now hiding behind Neeko again

“Well then you guys can go to Game Shop ahead of us while we go into Evelynn’s Secret!”

“Awwwman Game Shop seems like so much fun! Sometimes I wish I could, like, jump in between portals and hop in and out,” pouted Zoe.

“You’re more than welcome to join us Zoe,” Neeko suggested.

“Hmmmm I wish I could but I kiiiinda need to buy new bras since I messed up while washing my other ones”

“How do you mess up washing your clothes?”

“I don’t know it just happened!” Zoe said exacerbated, “and now I only kinda have the one I’m wearing now”

“Well I guess that's settled” said lux, “We can head into Evelynn’s, and you three can go over to Game Shop”

“Alright, see you in a little bit for lunch?” asked Neeko.

“Mhm! Alright see you in a few!” said Lux while waving goodbye.

Game Shop was on the far end of the mall, so it would take a little while for the three to get there. Neeko and Lillia were in the front while Aphelios walked right behind them. 

_I feel so awkward. Is this what being the third wheel is like???_

The distance between him and the couple was getting greater. Aphelios didn’t want to impede on the two. He kept on looking at the store windows to get his mind off of his thoughts. However, his behaviour was noticed by his blue-haired friend while he wasn’t looking. 

*ding ding*

It was Aphelios’ phone. He scrambled through his pockets and took it out. 

_It’s from Neeko?_

He glanced at her, only to find out she was looking at him as well. She pointed at her phone to signify that he needed to check his.

N: Hey, don’t feel like you have to distance yourself from us. 

A: U sure?

N: Of course. Also, if u have any help about your sexuality Lillia and I are here (if ur okay with her knowing about it)

A: Hmm. I trust her. Just text her abt it.

N: gotcha 

By the time the two finished the text conversation, they were almost to Game Shop. Aphelios was too busy window shopping to realize that Lillia was looking at him with a faint smile. 

“Alright, I don’t really have anything to look for, so I think I’ll just browse through any merch they have”

“I guess I’ll do that ‘s well,” replied Lillia.

“Me too,” said Aphelios.

The three walked over to the corner of the store, which housed numerous clothes and figures from various games. Neeko and Lillia looked at the miscellaneous plushies while Aphelios was trying to see if any of the shirts were his size. 

“So Aphelios… do you have any questions about… y’know” asked Neeko

“Ummmm…” he muttered as he rummaged through the clothes, “I have been thinking about telling the others about it”

“Did you have a time in mind?”

“Maybe… when we meet up for lunch?” he said as he squeezed the shirt he was holding, “We’re all here and you and Lillia can act as my support system. I’m just really scared to what everyone will think”

“It’s ok dude. Remember that I was also scared to come out”

“Aye, same here” chimed Lillia, “When I came oot it was very scary” 

“I see… I just feel like an idiot for feeling scared”

“Coming oot isn’t a wee thing Aphelios. You never know who you can trust out there”

“Exactly” he replied as he stared at the ground in a somber mood.

“But, there are people oot there who you can trust. They’ll be there for ya till the very end”

“Y- yeah…” he said with a faint smile, “I guess you’re right”

“Like me good pal Neeko!” Lillia cheered as the couple exchanged looks of love.

“Awww Lillia,” Neeko responded with a splash of red on her face. 

Aphelios propped his head up and examined the two

“Wait… so you two _are_ dating right?”

“Oh don’t be silly dude. We’re just gals being pals,” Neeko says right as she holds Lillia’s hand. 

“Mhmmmmmm,” replies Aphelios with an extra side of sarcasm. 

He watches as the two continue to flirt in the corner of the store.

_Really? You’re gonna look at me and tell me that I’m wrong?_

*Cough cough* 

“Ahem”

“Oh, sorry dude” 

Neeko exchanged another look with Lillia before a puzzled expression took over her face.

‘Did I do somethin wrong?” asked Neeko’s “gal pal”

“No no nothing hon- I mean Lillia!” 

Neeko fished through her pocket and took out her phone. 

“I just realized that we should probably get back to the food court. The others should be there soon.” 

Aphelios’ body started to tremble. He hang the shirt back on the racks and turned to Neeko and Lillia.

“I- I’m not buying anything. Let’s go”

“Sweet. I’m not buying anything. What about you Lils?” 

“Nope” 

“Alright, let’s start heading back”

As they left the store a girl with maroon hair and a nose piercing waved to them.

“Thanks for visiting Game Shop! Come soon!”

Neeko waved back, “Sure thing!” 

The three strolled out the store. With every step Aphelios took, his anxiety got worse. He couldn’t stop thinking of how everyone would feel. Even with Lillia and Neeko by his side, the thought of being rejected never left his head. His thoughts rang through the noises of the mall. The idea of not being accepted drowned out the sounds of people walking and conversing.

The three were starting to approach the food court. As they turned the corner Aphelios was starting to get more and more nervous. His heart started to beat faster and beads of sweat started to collect on his forehead. Shivers were running through his body as he stumbled his way to the tables. His whole body was becoming tense and shriveled.

Neeko looked back to see her friend in a dire state. 

“Aphelios!” she said while approaching him, “Here, we can go somewhere quiet to get you grounded.”

Lillia turned around at the sudden remark. She walked up to the Neeko, putting a hand on her shoulder while examining the state Aphelios was in.

“I- I… I’m f- fine…”

His words couldn’t fool Neeko.

“Look… I’m concerned about you. You don’t have to go through with this. It can wait for another time.”

“No no i want to do this… you'll be right here?”

Neeko nodded furiously, “every step of the way!”

Lillia ‘s soft voice sounded out too, “I'll be here as well"

In front of them was a conveniently sized empty table with exactly six chairs. Likewise, the trio sat down, with Aphelios being in between Neeko and Lillia.

Aphelios started to rub his thighs back and forth. His body was mimicking the motion as well. He couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t stop thinking. 

He felt Neeko gently place her hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll be fine Aphelios. We’re here for you”

“Is everything okay?” Alune’s worried voice then became loud and clear. What was supposed to sound comforting and concerned felt like massive pounding in aphelio’s head.

_Oh god they’re here…_

Aphelios tried to say something, but nervousness forced his mouth closed.

“Aphelios, are you going to throw up? Should we really be eating?” asked lux

“Well he obviously isn’t vibing that well right now that's for sure,” added zoe

Alune glared to the ginger down, “hey don't joke about this, he’s my brother”

By the time Aphelios was able to recover enough the three were about to start arguing.

“It’s okay, im fine, really…”

“Are you sure? Is that it? Bro i know you're hiding something” alume said frankly, “whoever is bothering you about your emo haircut again I'll deal with them for you”

“Welll…” he hesitated.

“C’mon Aphelios, you can do it” encouraged lillia

He then looked to his right to where Neeko was giving hima thumb up. His face still held an anxious look, and he took in a deep breath.

“I… have something to tell all of you…”

All three of the opposing girls seemingly stared him down while he still tried to build up courage to say those two words.

“I’m… I’m…”

He was still having a hard time getting the last word out, so he tensed up and hung his head towards the ground.

“You’re.... What…?” asked Zoe.

“I’m… gay…”

In that instance a few seconds of silence let the white noise of the cafeteria fill in between them. But that distance was quickly filled by seemingly a million hugs, first from Neeko and Lillia, second from alune, and third and fourth from Zoe and Lux. 

“Phel…” softly replied Alune.

Aphelios started to tear up. All those tense of moments of keeping it in have finally resolved. He had done it.

Everyone had slowly let go one by one, with Alune being the last one to let go. When she let go, her hands were on Aphelios’ shoulders, and she looked at him straight in the eye.

“I am with you” 

“As am I,” seconded Lux.

“Me too,” added Zoe.

The corners of Aphelios’ mouth started to rise. He beamed a small, but confident smile to everyone around him. His eyes twinkled with a newfound happiness. For the rest of the day, he felt like a new man. A shy, gay, but slightly more profound man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College is rough :/. Once my midterms end I'll definitely put more into this. Stay tuned.


	9. The Project

It was a sunny afternoon at Bandle High School. The temperature was just right for everyone to relax outdoors. It was lunchtime, so Aphelios and his friends were all sitting outside the band room. Since today was the day after he came out to everyone at the mall, the weight that was on his chest was no longer there, but he still was pretty shy. The things he had to worry about now were his classes.

“Soooo… Lux… has anything happened between you and Ezreal lately?” 

Lux started to turn red. She looked up to see Zoe with her classic smartass grin. 

“I- umm… why the sudden question???” replied the shaken blond. 

“I dunno I’m boreeedddd. We’ve all been pretty silent so I thought it would nice to shake things up!”

“Well… short but sweet answer no,”

“Damn,”

“You know how boys can be. It’s almost impossible to read them,”

“I guess…”

Zoe wasn’t satiated with her conversation with Lux. She wanted more things to do. What else was there to ask. It wasn’t like one of her friends dropped a huge fact about themselves that changed the dynamic of the group… oh wait.

She eyed Aphelios.

“Hey Aphelios! Interested in anyone recently??”

Our protagonist shot up from the rude awakening while Alune quickly entered the chat.

“Hey Zoe, I think that’s Phel’s job to tell us. We don’t have to know.”

Meanwhile, Aphelios and Neeko exchanged looks of gay panic. Zoe’s question came out of nowhere and neither of them knew if Sett should be mentioned at all. 

“Uhhh.”

Everyone turned to Neeko who was pretty frazzled. She didn’t want to jump boundaries like she did with Aphelios a couple of days before. Her mouth remained open as no words seemed to come out. 

“Well-”

Suddenly, the group's eyes were on Aphelios. 

“Y- yeah…”

_ Come on dude, say it. _

“He’s in my chemistry class.”

A collective chorus of “ooooooooo”s was sung amongst the girls. Even Alune was showing signs of interest. 

“But he’s most likely straight, so it’s a lost cause.”

Everyone sighed in disappointment. 

“Are you okay with sharing a name?” Lux pressed. 

“It’s… Sett,” replied Aphelios. 

“Ohhh so that’s why you asked about him after the football game,” said Lux. 

Aphelios softly cringed at her statement.

_ I can’t believe she remembers that. _

“He is a pretty mysterious person. I remember Garen was really surprised when he showed up to the party Friday night. If I recall correctly he was with Qiyana,”

_ Qiyana _

Aphelios shivered at the name. It was one thing to crush on a straight guy but it’s worse when he has a girlfriend. The fact that Qiyana was not the most pleasant person to be around added more salt to the wound. 

Neeko chimed in, “Yeah… I’ve had crushes on straight girls before dude. It’s not fun.”

“Yeah…” replied a somber Aphelios. 

“I’m sure you’ll find someone Aphelios! There are plenty of stars in the sky!” cheered Lux.

“For sure! There’s gotta be someone for you!” added Alune. 

“I hope so,” mumbled Aphelios. 

“Trust me, your gaming skills are to die for. You’ll have all the gamers at your feet in no time,” teased Zoe. 

“Thanks for that Zoe???”

“Happy to help!”

_ Ring Ring _

And that was the bell. Everyone started packing their belongings to head to fifth period. Once Aphelios was done packing he started moving towards his next class. The thoughts of Sett and Qiyana plaguing his mind every step of the way.

~~~

Aphelios was on his way to sixth period when a familiar voice greeted him. 

“Yo”

“Heyyyy Neekoooooo. ”

“You uhhh… ready for the lab partner project in chemistry?”

Aphelios stifled. 

“The WHAT?!?”

“Yeah dude Mr. Faker mentioned it a while ago.”

_ Damn my gay must’ve distracted me. _

“Well we’re gonna be partners right?!”

Neeko nodded in disappointment.

“I think this one is with our lab partners.”

“Ughhhh,” grunted Aphelios, “Working with Sett is gonna be a nightmare.” 

“Maybe it won’t be so bad. You know how many people would kill to be partnered with their crush?”

“I know, but he's super distant and with Qiyana.” 

Neeko realized this dream was more akin to a nightmare. 

“Rigggghhhhttt.”

The two fell completely silent. Being partnered with Sett meant Aphelios was going to most likely do the work in a constant gay panic. 

“Hey I’m sure we can ask Mr. Faker to switch if it makes you that uncomfortable.“

“I hope so.”

Neeko and Aphelios continued to their classroom. In an attempt to steer away from Sett they started to talk about how unbalanced Club of Champions has been. When they finally arrived, Neeko gave Aphelios a look of sympathy before they went to their seats. 

A groggy Aphelios saw Sett sitting in his usual seat, a familiar tint of red painting our protagonist’s face. 

_ Why does he have to… exist like that damnit  _

Begrudgingly, he took his seat next to the chiseled baddy. He looked away from Sett in an attempt to suppress any thoughts he had about him. His strategy seemed to work until Sett spoke. 

“Hey Qiyana.”

_ Aaand she’s here too _

_ “Hey…”  _ snarled the cheerleader. 

Aphelios perked up in bemusement, but not enough to garner any attention. Qiyana’s voice was laced with anger and hostility, a complete 180 from the lovey-dovey tone she was using to woo Sett.

_ Something must’ve happened at that party. _

And just like that the bell rang. Mr. Faker walked to the front of class to present the project.

“Alright everyone as you should know over the next few days we’re going to have a lab partner project.” 

He points to the board.

“So each group will have 3 mystery liquids, and given the atomic weight, you will have to determine what each liquid is at room temperature.” 

Aphelios rolled his eyes.

_ How is this supposed to be a few days long? _

Mr. Faker changed the slides on the board.

“We’ll start with the lab today. Tomorrow you’ll do a post lab analysis, and finish up whatever wasn't done today. Thursday will be a poster making day and Friday you’ll turn it in. 

That was Aphelios needed to hear about the project. He would have to interact with Sett over the next four days, and that’s all he could think about before Mr. Faker brought out the materials. 

As soon as he was handed the lab materials, Aphelios was struck with a sense of dread.

_ Maybe I should talk to the teacher about switching. _

But before he could move Sett spoke. 

“Hey, so where did you want to start with this?”

The other boy froze.

_ Oh… noooooo _

“Uhh… let’s just start with measuring the liquids,” replied Aphelios.

“Gotcha”

Silence grew between the two.

“... Here, while I weigh this you write everything down.”

“O- Oh! Yeah I can do that.”

_ Good thing I’m writing it down and not… _

Sett began to pour in the liquids one by one, measuring each one of them while Aphelios wrote down the data. While Aphelios was looking at Sett’s process, he couldn’t help but peek at his arms raising up and down to pour and empty the liquids. 

_ Bless those biceps.  _

His trance ended when Sett finished measuring.

“So… what do we do next?”

“I think we have to convert it. I can do those quickly.”

“Alright.”

Aphelios quickly got to work on the conversions. His pencil effortlessly skated across the paper as he did all of the math in his head. 

“Done,” he said with a satisfied grin.

“Already?!” responded a surprised Sett.

“Yeah… these things come quickly to me,”

Aphelios was too busy looking at his lap to notice Sett smiling at him. 

“Damn I wish I was good at this stuff. I’m so lucky I got put with you.”

A gay panic started to enter Aphelios’ body.

_ ASDMWPIDMCP OH MY GOD. _

“If you need more help with stuff you can just ask me,” he replied, still looking down.

“That would be cool, you actually helped me a lot last time too.”

Aphelios felt like he was in a dream. Sett? Interaction? No Qiyana??? It was all he could ask for.

“So what should we be doing after everything is converted?”

“Oh! I uhhhh… think we need to compare since we have the data needed to find out what each liquid is. I- I can do this step again.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” 

Once again, it didn’t take long for Aphelios to figure out everything. Only a few minutes were needed for him to rewrite his conversions and figure out what the mystery liquids are. 

“I think I have the three of them,”

“So does that mean we’re done?”

“I think so,”

“Great, I can clean up everything while you finish up the post lab questions,”

“Okay”

As Sett stood up to clean the supplies, Aphelios got to work on the rest of the lab. He felt giddy after what just happened. It didn’t take long for Sett to clean up the desk since the sink was right behind them. Once both of their work was done they browsed on their phones. Unfortunately, the conversing between the two came to a halt since there was no topic to talk about. 

The end of sixth period was approaching and Aphelios was browsing social media when Neeko called him from the side. She was carrying the lab materials to clean them with the sink. Luckily, there was a line to clean so Neeko and Aphelios could chat for a bit.

“Hey duudeee. Geez how early did you finish?”

“Oh, around 20 minutes ago. This stuff wasn’t too bad.”

“Damn look at you go. It took me and Akali the rest of class to do it.”

“Yeesh, but at least you finished it right?”

“Yeah, we were able to solve everything by the end.”

“That’s good.”

“Anyway, are you down to play Club of Champions after rehearsal today? I don’t have any homework tonight.”

“Oh for sure! I can’t wait to play the new marksman coming out!”

“Same here. She looks super busted and I love it.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the school bell. 

“Wait class ends right now? I still gotta clean these materials.”

“Oof… Well I think I need to go right now because I have to pick up my rehearsal clothes in Alune’s car before she moves it.”

“You better go dude!”

Aphelios hoisted up his backpack and stood up. 

“I’ll see you soon!”

“Yeah! Whether it’ll be at rehearsal or Club of Champions”

~

Still in his seat. Sett looked at Aphelios making his way through the classroom and out the door.

_ Wait… he plays Club?  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back B). I'm pretty busy with school atm but THIS FIC ISN'T DEAD. I'll get back on it as much as I can.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first huge project. I had the idea of making a fic based off of me being a closeted gay band kid in high school. A few of the events that happen in this fic are based off of real life experiences. Unfortunately I never got with any of my crushes, but I can assure you this will be different. I came up with so many ideas that I decided to make it multi-chapter. I hope you all enjoy the ride (and that I don't run out of steam and leave you all hanging ;-;).


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